


Nine Months and Many Years After

by siinmachine



Category: Ranger's Apprentice - John Flanagan
Genre: (get the baby pun?), AER fic, M/M, Male Pregnancy, Vampire AU, poor halt, somebody help this poor baby, vampire halt
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-08
Updated: 2016-08-29
Packaged: 2018-07-13 21:12:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,565
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7137353
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/siinmachine/pseuds/siinmachine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>One night. That was all it took for Halt to end up with a whole new responsibility. Supported by his friends and family, Halt must change his life entirely to support the new life he now has. With Halt closer than ever to Will, can the former apprentice ever gather the courage to reveal his unrequited feelings before someone else swoops in and steals Halt's heart? (written by AER)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> my friend, Alex the Rogue on fanfiction.net, wrote this and asked me to put it up here. all credit goes to her :)

He didn't like remembering that night. Why? Because he got very drunk (Not his fault, he claimed) and ended up being the bottom for a guy he had ended up having sex with. It was against his rule of always be the top. The only reason he was remembering now was because Pauline and Crowley wanted to know if he had come in contact with anyone who had whatever virus he had contracted, though he had a sinking feeling that it wasn't a virus but something-or rather someone-much more serious.

"Halt, tell us!" Halt just groaned as his body started to revolt again and he dry-heaved into the toilet that he had been kneeling at for too many hours for the last two-and-a-half months. He felt someone-Pauline, most likely-clean his forehead of sweat with a cool washcloth. Someone-That's probably Crowley if Pauline is wiping my forehead-was pacing in front of his sink, muttering something about assholes and best friends.

Halt sighed as his stomach finally settled. Slowly raising his torso, Halt flushed the toilet. He accepted Crowley's assistance in standing and walking to the sink, leaning on it as he went through the motions of brushing his teeth to rid his mouth of the horrible taste of vomit.

"Let's get you to the couch, okay?" Pauline said softly, placing her hand on Halts' shoulder. He nodded, leaning heavily on Crowley as the three made their way from the third floor to the main floor of the three-story house. After settling Halt on the couch, Crowley sat in an armchair, pulling his wife next to him. Slowly, with pauses to keep his stomach settled, Halt told them a heavily edited version of what happened two-and-a-half months ago.

"So there's a possibility that you contracted an STD?" Crowley asked and Halt nodded in response. Pauline had thoughtful look on her face as she considered a seemingly impossible idea. Well, impossible for humans. Highly likely for adult male vampires like Halt.

"I believe there is a chance you are pregnant, Halt." She finally stated after some consideration. As Crowley spluttered in shock beside her, Halt sighed and nodded slowly, knowing that was the most plausible explanation for his sickness.

"Wha-How is there a chance for Halt to be pregnant!? He is a guy, if you've forgotten, Pauline!" Crowley stressed loudly, looking astonished.

"He's also a vampire, Crowley, and male vampires that are of twenty years of age can get pregnant. Their bodies are built for it, after all." The elegant blonde explained patiently to her husband, gently patting his hand. Crowley was stunned for a moment, before turning to Halt for confirmation of the information.

"Is it-" Crowley swallowed hard, struggling to imagine his best friend pregnant, of all things, "Is it true?" He looked anxiously at Halt.

"Yes, Crow." Halt frowned, "Though I wish it wasn't. I'm not capable of caring for baby for longer than a few days, let alone years."

"You'll be fine Halt, if, of course, you actually are pregnant. You have us and the others." Pauline soothed, reminding the two males that they didn't know for sure that Halt was actually pregnant. Halt just rolled his eyes as Crowley grinned.

"Hopefully it'll just be a virus." Crowley said.

"Hopefully." Halt repeated. Pauline mentally rolled her eyes, before standing.

"It is still late, so we should all just get some sleep while we still can. We'll set up an appointment at St. Kitts once the sun rises." Pauline stated and the three bid each other goodnight, Pauline and Crowley heading to their room on the second floor as Halt got comfortable on the couch.

He sighed and let sleep take him away for a while.


	2. Chapter 2

Halt was reaching for the coffee beans when Pauline came down. And then told him he couldn't have coffee unless it was decaf. "Wh-What?! Why!" He stared at her, aghast. "Caffeine isn't good for babies, if you are indeed pregnant, Halt. Better safe than sorry." She said as she started making breakfast for the three of them.

The steady swish-clack of the whisk beating eggs prevented Halt from arguing, as he knew better than to piss off the person making him food. Especially when they're making him french toast. Mmmmm, french toast... As Halt got lost in french toast induced haze, Crowley came down the stairs and greeted his wife with a long and passionate kiss.

_Mmmmm, french toast with cinnamon and blueberry syrup with fresh blue-_

"-wake." Halt blinked as he exited his daydream. "What?" He aimed the question towards Crowley, as he had been the one to speak. Crowley huffed, annoyed, and repeated himself, "I said 'I don't think he's even awake'." Crowley glared at him, then turned to stare at and drool over the stack of french toast that was steadily getting taller next to the stove. Halt nearly did the same thing, but at the last second changed his mind, not wanting to be ridiculed alongside Crowley. Instead he went to check the fridge for the fresh fruit and fruit-based syrups they all loved to drown their french toast in. Not too long after Halt had finished washing the blueberries, strawberries, and blackberries they favored, Pauline finished making their breakfast.

"Everyone else will tease the hell out of us if they ever find out our eating habits." Crowley mentioned as he dumped blackberry syrup over his french toast. "Most certainly, but they will be disgusted first." Pauline added, popping a strawberry into her mouth. Halt nodded as he ate, "Which is why we will never let them find out." Noises of agreement were made as they continued to eat.

\-------------

"Damn it, why can't I use the bathroom?!" Halt whispered heatedly to Pauline as they waited in the obstetricians' office. "Because you need a full bladder for the sonogram, Halt. I've told you this five times already." Pauline whispered back, annoyed. Halt shifted in in his seat, trying to take the pressure off his bladder. "It's been forty minutes, Pauline, I cannot wait another forty for a lord-be-damned nurse to take a fucking sonogram!" He hissed, brows furrowed. Pauline opened her mouth to reply, but was interrupted by nurse calling Halt's name. Thank the Lord! Halt thought as he walked up to the nurse, relieved to be getting it done and over with. "Hi, I'm Julia Fenwikks, and I'll be performing your sonogram today. Do you have any questions about the procedure?" The blonde asked as she led him to the exam room.

Halt shook his head, "No." Julia nodded and patted the exam chair, "Then hop onto the chair, unbutton your shirt completely, and pull your pants and underwear down to your hips please." She waited until he had complied before smearing the jelly over his abdomen and pelvic area. Picking up the probe, the nurse smiled and asked if he was ready. "Yeah." Halt nodded, and watched as an image came up on the little screen. He had enough experience with sonogram photos to understand what he was seeing.

"Twins" Halt said after letting a whoosh of breathe out. "Were you expecting twins?" Julia asked as she moved the probe around to get a better image. "I'm a twin, so there was a chance I would end up carry them." Halt replied. The nurse smiled, then asked a question. "Would you like to know the gender?" He thought for a moment, then shook his head, "I'll wait til they're born."

"Okay, then let me print off the image for you and you'll be done." Julia said. After cleaning the gel off Halt's skin, she handed him the promised photo. "Thank you and have a good day!" Halt nodded back at the nurse and made a beeline for the men's restroom, ignoring Pauline.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, there you go. This will continue for now. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask.
> 
> AER


	3. Chapter 3

They just stared at him, shocked. "B-But that isn't possible..." Cassandra stammered, eyes wide with disbelief. "It most certainly is possible." Halt responded, leaning against the counter. Cassandra just stared at him, still in shock.

Will, in contrast to the others, was looking incredibly nervous. "Ar-are you sure?" He asked timidly. Crowley and Halt stared at him like he was crazy and Will dropped his gaze, as quick burst of terror shot through his system. "We're sure, Will." Crowley replied. Halt narrowed his eyes at the man he considered his son. Shifting so he leaned on his hip, he asked him quietly, "Do you know something about how I got pregnant, Will?" Will nodded jerkily, not wanting to upset the man he had once saw as his father figure. "I-uh..." He tried to swallow, couldn't as his mouth was dry, "T-There's this guy at where I'm working at, and he's-uh-he's an ass." Will paused, trying to swallow again and failing. "He came in about two-and-a-half months ago, reeking of you, and he was uh...talking about having had uh done it with you..." Will, normally bright and mischievous, was dull and depressed. He felt terrible for not asking Halt about the incident and just assuming he was alright. Now he was pregnant. He felt a hand on his shoulder.

Halt waited til Will had looked up at him before saying, "It's not your fault, Will." He murmured, squeezing Will's shoulder in comfort. Will nodded, holding back a blush at the comforting gesture. "So what are you going to do next?" Horace inquired, watch on Halt curiously. "Live, stay pregnant, go to appointments, put together a nursery, give birth. Breathe." Halt listed. Gilan grinned, "It's going to be fun watching you get a baby bump." Jenny hit him on the arm as Halt glared at his first apprentice. "Remind me why I put up with you?" Halt drawled, irritated. "Because you love me." Gilan smirked, cerulean eyes sparkling with an inner fire not natural to water elementals. "Whatever floats your boat, Gils." Halt replied, smirking when the brunet scowled at the puns.

\-------------------

"So tell me about this guy." Halt asked Will as they relaxed in the roof garden. "Well, Jake is blonde with brown eyes. He has the personality of an egotistical ass that's also a narcissist. Comes from a wealthy family that cut him off, but he has an aunt that dotes on him, made him a trust fund baby. Hates little kids and despises babies. Apparently he nearly killed his six month old niece, which is why he was cut off in the first place." Will frowned as he spoke, his intense dislike for the man causing his brows to furrow. "Your basic, rich asshole that likes killing babies, then?" Halt queried and Will nodded. "Yeah." A contemplative silence reigned between the two as they watched the sun slowly sink towards the western horizon. "Being single still working for you, Will?" Halt inquired, glancing over at the curly-haired brunet. "Yeah, but it is mildly lonely." Will replied, thinking about the lonely and not-so-lonely nights spent in his little condo. "Have you met anyone yet?" Will shook his head, "No, not yet." And I'm not going to since I love you. "You'll find someone who makes you happy." Halt said and Will grinned. I already have. "What about you, Halt? Met anyone yet?" Will tossed back at his former mentor. Halt scowled, "No, and I'm not going to. I'll wait for my mate and let them find me." "So you don't know who they are?" Will cocked his head, curious. "Don't vampires know who their mates are once they reach puberty?" Halt laughed, and pleasant warmth bloomed in Will's chest, causing him to grin as the fading sunlight glinted off his sharp canines. "No. If we did, I probably wouldn't be pregnant right now. Romantic intent and sex let us know who our mates are." Halt explained, a lopsided smirk tugging at his lips. "Oh..." Will frowned, now how was he suppose to figure out who Halt's mate was? Ugh, this is so FRUSTRATING! Might as change the subject if he wasn't going to find anymore information on Halt's mate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that is the third chapter. Does anyone have any ideas? Hope this is good.


	4. Chapter 4

"Have you figured out how to get them to not throw the shower?" Will inquired, pushing the partially-filled cart. "Clearly not." Halt rolled his eyes as he gestured to the hors d'oeurvres he was looking at. "Then why aren't you helping the girls plan it?" Will raised an eyebrow at Halt. "Because it's a surprise." "Then why are you buying food for it?" Will looked at him with his brows furrowed and nose scrunched. "Crowley was suppose to be buying the food, but he ducked out and stuck me with purchasing the food for my own party." "And then you called me so I could accompany you." Will added. Halt nodded absently as he tried to figure out what Pauline meant when she wrotefruit tarts on the list.  
He murmured to himself, "Does she want multiple large tarts or multiple small tarts?" "Probably the small ones, Halt." Will suggested as he strolled past him to pick up a platter of fruit tarts. "You'd better not-actually it is okay for you to be wrong because it will be Crowley's fault since he was suppose to do this." Halt smirked, imagining Pauline giving Crowley an icy dressing down. He leaned past Will to grab several platters of fruit tarts of varying fruits.

Will attempted to wet his mouth when it went dry at the arousing sight of Halt bent over in front of him. Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! WHYYYYYYYYYYYY does he have to have such a delectably delicious ass?! Such. A. Fine. Ass. Will drooled mentally, moving to take the platters from Halt when he straightened.

"So...When are you going into hiding?" Will asked, struggling to keep his gaze on the back of Halt's head and off of his gorgeous backside. "In two weeks or so. I also have an appointment in three weeks." Halt replied, looking for the frozen fruit aisle. "Would you like some company for it?" Will asked, mildly worried that Halt would say no. Halt thought for a moment, then nodded, "I'd like that." Halt turned his head to give Will a small smile, causing the brunet's heart to flutter. "Next on the list is frozen fruit, with no specifications." Halt stated. "Let's go find them, then." Will replied, leading Halt away from the fruit tarts. They fell into a comfortable silence as they walked into the correct aisle, browsing the options before arguing loudly over which ones to get, before finally deciding on on their favorites(peaches, raspberries, and blueberries).

\-----------------------

They had just exited the frozen fruit isle when a woman called out Halt's name. Will frowned ever so slightly when he saw the short, pretty blonde approach Halt and throw her arms around him. Halt hugged her in return before stepping back out of the embrace. "Lysa, how are you?" he asked, smiling at the blonde. "Great, actually. You?" She replied, a wide grin gracing her pale pink lips. "As well as can be." Halt placed a hand on her shoulder as he guided her over to Wil. "Will, this is Lysandra Rosselli, my brother's beautiful sweethear-" Halt was cut off by Lysa, who interrupted with a brilliant smile. "Actually, I'm his fiancée now." Halt smiled as he wrapped an arm around her in a partial hug. "Congratulations, Lysa!" She smiled again, turning her head towards Halt and catching a mouthful of his scent, which caused a pale blush to grace her cheeks. Oh My Gods! He's PREGNANT! EEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! His boyfriend is so cute! I must know more!

Lysa smiled at Will and held out her hand, "Please, call me Lysa. What's your name?" Will had relaxed after hearing that she was in a relationship with Ferris and smile back, shaking her hand as he introduced himself. "I'm Will Treaty, a close friend of Halt's." ARRRGH! Damn it, Halt, why are you such an idiot, not snatching up this tasty morsel for a mate? *Growls mentally* I can't wait to tell Ferris-Actually I can'twait to tell Helen about this. She'll definitely get Halt to stop being such an oblivious doorknob and see that Will is clearly meant for him, Lysa thought, replying to Will's response. "It's nice to meet you and good to know that the friends he's always talking about are flesh-and-blood people and not imaginary friends he was making up to please his mother." Will laughed as Halt growled indignantly at the statement. "He's a bit grumpy at times, but we still love him." Will grinned, ruffling Halt's hair (and secretly reveling in the silky soft feel of it) and laughing when Halt swatted his hand away and leveled a lethal glare at him, while Lysandra watched, grinning at the adorably perfect pair. They'll so work out well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I edited all the chapters (the first four), changed Will from thinking I like you, to I love you, because I wanted to to go deeper than just a crush. Will, after all, is in love with Halt, while the older man considers him a son. Now, see what happens when an unknown is thrown into the mix.  
> AER


	5. Chapter 5

"Halt? Why did you go grocery shopping?" Pauline asked as the willowy blonde stared at the Hibernian from the porch, utterly perplexed. Will was struggling to keep his grin contained as he grabbed groceries from the back seat of Halt's Tahoe. Halt raised a brow at the question before he answered, "Crowley passed the list you made to me since he was busy." Pauline eyes widened ever so slightly in surprise before narrowing, a frosty demeanor falling over her. "I see. Do you need any help?" Pauline inquired as Halt and Will walked towards the porch, arms laden with groceries. "Please." Will said, smiling at Pauline as he passed her. She returned the smile while opening the door for them.

Halt came to a stop as he saw the blonde man sitting at the breakfast bar, a pair of frosty drinks by him. Pauline sailed past him to introduce them.

"Halt, Will, this is my cousin, Elliot. Elliot this is Halt and Will." Pauline gestured gracefully, not honestly expecting Halt or Will to be happy there was a complete strange (to them, at least) in the house.

Elliot smiled at the two, more so at Halt, subtly checking him out as he held out a hand that was ignored by the vampire.

"Hello."

Halt ignored his hand, feeling wary and distrustful of Elliot, purely because of his pregnancy, not because Elliot was a bad person. His vampiric instincts wouldn't allow for anyone new to get close to him while he was still with kits. And even then, very few of the people he knew would be allowed close to him. They wouldn't be able to touch his growing baby bump, though. Only his mate would be able to touch it, other than himself and the ob-gyn, of course.

Will, somehow sensing Halt's unease around Elliot, moved to flank him after setting the groceries on the closest counter. Then he noticed Elliot's interest in Halt. This managed to piss the wolf off enough for his eyes to flash intimidatingly at Elliot, staking a silent claim on Halt, warning the man off. Elliot frowned slightly but conceded to Will's claim and backed off.

\---------------------

The first time Halt questioned his relationship with Will was when he had tripped (for the first time in forever).

Will had caught him before he fell, steadying him with one hand gingerly placed on Halt's bump. Which should have made Halt snarl viciously at the wolf, as Will wasn't his mate. Halt had almost thought for a second there that there was a small chance that Will was his mate. But his mind instantly reasoned that he saw Will as his kit rather than his mate, which his instincts saw as acceptable and so Will was able to touch his bump.

\---------------------

The second time had been at the pre-natal appointment he had invited Will to.

Halt had gotten extremely dizzy when they had entered the exam room, starting to fall over. Only for Will to wrap his arms around him, hands cradling Halt's protruding bump. Will held him with a concerned look in his chocolate eyes as the dizziness had passed. Halt shot him a grateful look before hurriedly correcting the nurse who had mistaken them for mates, utterly unaware of the crushed look that had flashed in Will's eyes when Halt had corrected the nurse. No need to make Will uncomfortable, after all. Halt thought as the appointment started, though he was less sure of his previous reasoning for why Will could touch his bump without repercussions.

\---------------------

The third time had been the tipping point.

It had just been the two of them at the vampire's home, where the setting was accidentally romantic (lights dimmed, fat pine-scented candles burning, old rock ballads playing softly) as Will cooked for them, their conversation easy as they were at ease with each other. Halt was struck with a startling epiphany. One he wasn't sure he really could handle on his own.

He was then distracted from his thoughts by a fluttery feeling in his abdomen. He looked down, befuddled by the sensation. Will watched him with curiosity that changed to concern.

"Halt?" The brunet had half-risen from his seat.

"I-oh." He had felt the fluttery sensation again and realized a bit belatedly that it was his kits kicking. "The kits are kicking." He beckoned Will over, gently grasping the brunet's hand and placing the palm onto his curved stomach, holding it there.

Will's eyes went wide with a reverent awe when he felt the light taps against his palm, a quiet 'Wow...' slipping through his lips.

"Yeah." Halt had a soft look in his eyes when he met Will's gaze, surprisingly happy with his epiphany.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there. That took me a while to figure out where I was going with this to meet my end goal. But I am happy with it, and hope you people are too.
> 
> AER

**Author's Note:**

> (from Alex the Rogue)  
> And there you have it. Most likely a two-shot, maybe more. This is weird, so please tell me so.  
> Over and out,  
> AER


End file.
